UFC on Versus 5 Results: What's Next for the Winners and Losers

UFC on Versus 5, held last night in Milwaukee, was an exciting and unexpectedly emotional event, due in large part to the surprise retirement of fan favorite Chris Lytle.

And though that was the main headline, and rightfully so, there was plenty of action across the card. Some of last night's results might inject new blood into divisional rankings, while others may have signaled the end of the line for certain fighters.

So what's next for all the winners and losers? Here's a breakdown.

Loser: Jason Reinhardt

Reinhardt didn't display much skill outside the ability to taunt Edwin Figueroa, which in hindsight, was, eh, probably not the wisest strategy there.

Reinhardt is now 0-3 in the UFC and may be on his way out, especially considering his footing in the promotion was never exactly rock-solid.

Winner: Edwin Figueroa

Figueroa did what was expected of him: dominating Reinhardt, and ultimately pounding him out early in the second frame.

The 26-year-old Texan is now 8-1 and circling the bantamweight division's top 20. Takeya Mizugazi would make for a good matchup.

Loser: Danny Castillo

Castillo is now 1-1 in the UFC, with his only win a getting-less-impressive-with-time victory over Joe Stevenson.

Castillo's college wrestling pedigree was no match for Volkmann's, as he was controlled for three full rounds.

Perhaps higher-octane fighters Charles Oliveira or Paul Taylor would help Castillo better display his arsenal.

Winner: Jacob Volkmann

Volkmann grappled his way to a unanimous decision win, but in so doing showed an inability to finish Castillo, despite multiple opportunities.

Nevertheless, Volkmann is now riding a four-fight win streak and is dangerously close to top-10 territory.

As he is one of the best wrestlers at lightweight, a ground war with Kamal Shalorus could be entertaining.

Loser: T.J. O'Brien

After getting choked out in the second round last night, O'Brien has now dropped both of his fights in the Octagon since being transplanted from the WEC.

Given that the lightweight division is so talent-heavy, the loss could be curtains for O'Brien's UFC stint.

Winner: Cole Miller

Miller used a guillotine choke to move to an impressive 7-3 inside the Octagon. The rangy jiu-jitsu lightweight showed he is still capable of facing higher levels of competition, despite a loss to Matt Wiman in his previous fight.

Perhaps the winner between Evan Dunham and Shamar Bailey this September would be a good landing place for Miller.

Loser: Alex Caceres

As with fellow TUF alum O'Brien, "Bruce Leeroy" is now 0-2 in a pretty loaded division (featherweight in this case), and may not be long for the UFC. 

Winner: Jimy Hettes

By defeating a relatively big name in Caceres for his UFC debut, Hettes scored unquestionably the biggest win of his career last night. Hettes also earns points for doing it on short notice, as he replaced the injured Leonard Garcia.

I expect a nice bump up the ladder for the undefeated 24-year-old. The winner between Matt Grice and Nam Phan this October would provide a higher-profile opponent.

Loser: Karlos Vemola

The beefy light heavyweight was all over the place in his unanimous decision loss to newcomer Ronny Markes.

Vemola is now 1-2 in the UFC, but at 26 years old and with a strong wrestling background, Vemola should get at least one more shot either at 205 or back up at heavyweight.

Rescheduling Vemola for Stephan Bonnar, his original opponent for this match, would be a very interesting stylistic pairing.

Winner: Ronny Markes

ln outwrestling an accomplished wrestler, Markes showed he's ready for the big time.

So who's next?  Maybe Stephan Bonnar. Maybe Krzysztof Soszynski. Whoever it is, I imagine a lot of fans will be watching.

Loser: Kyle Noke

After his submission loss last night, Noke is still 3-1 in the UFC and a winner in five of his last six.

As such, the future is still fairly bright for Noke, as it is for UFC 132 surprise winner Rafael Natal. A bout between the two might help separate the wheat from the chaff.

Winner: Ed Herman

Call it the Chris Leben effect.

After taking the fight with Noke on short notice, then locking on a brutal heel hook to force the first-round tap, "Short Fuse" Herman now has two wins in about as many months.

After watching from the sidelines for nearly two years following a serious knee injury, the quick run of action probably feels particularly sweet to Herman.

The back-to-back victories could move him into the gatekeeper conversation at middleweight. If this fall's winner between young bucks Chris Weidman and Tom Lawlor is serious about contending at 185, Herman would be a stiff next step.

Loser: Eddie Wineland

Something tells me Eddie Wineland is a little sick of Alpha Males.

After losing to Urijah Faber in March and then to Faber teammate Joseph Benavidez last night, Wineland remains winless in the UFC.

Still, the popular bantamweight would be a handful for some of the division's newer faces. Michael McDonald comes to mind.

Winner: Joseph Benavidez

Benavidez continues to prove he is the real deal at 135 by hammering Wineland with pinpoint strikes for three rounds.

If he is not in line for a shot at the strap after reigning champ Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson square off in October, I don't know what else he needs to do. 

Loser: C.B. Dollaway

The future once looked so promising for the standout college wrestler and TUF finalist. But after his second straight loss, Dollaway seems to have lost the trail a little bit.

Dollaway could try to get untracked against the loser of September's fight between Court McGee and Dong Yi Yang.

Winner: Jared Hamman

Hamman was impressive in his middleweight debut, pounding Dollaway with his heavy right hand for the TKO victory.  Hamman's performances at light heavyweight were choppy, but he looked much better at the lighter weight class.

Nick Catone and Aaron Simpson could each help Hamman determine if he is a middleweight for life, after the two veterans tangle at UFC 136.

Loser: Amir Sadollah

Sadollah was outclassed last night, plain and simple. Next for Sadollah is more training.

Though his grappling was strong, his takedowns and standup left something to be desired.

Sadollah is a good fighter and will be back, but in today's MMA world, guts and endurance can only get you so far.

Winner: Duane Ludwig

This world-class Muay Thai kickboxer is ranked with a bullet. He showed not only excellent striking but superior takedown defense in his match with Sadollah. He even scored a couple takedowns of his own.

In my opinion, Ludwig deserves a big opponent in his next bout. I'm thinking Martin Kampmann. Who wouldn't watch that?

Loser: Charles Oliveira

Oliveira has some serious soul-searching to do after dropping his third straight contest (one of which was a no-contest following an illegal blow).

Given that Donald Cerrone simply looked bigger and stronger than Oliveira, maybe a move down to featherweight makes sense.

Winner: Donald Cerrone

In the past, Cerrone has come up short against bona fide contenders. But I believe this is a different Cowboy.

Only one way to test that theory: give him a bona fide contender. I vote for the winner of Sam Stout and Dennis Siver at UFC 137. 

Loser: Jim Miller

A funny thing happened on the way to Jim Miller's title shot. He ran into a freight train named Ben Henderson.

Though Henderson is a very good fighter, plenty of people (myself included) were simply assuming Miller would walk through him and put himself in line for the winner of Edgar-Maynard III.  But that, as they say, is why they play the game.

Miller is still one of the best grapplers at 155, and shouldn't suffer a huge knockdown as a result of this loss (thorough though it was).

A contender eliminator match with Clay Guida or Melvin Guillard would surely send sparks flying.

Winner: Ben Henderson

Henderson controlled Jim Miller physically, mentally, stylistically, philosophically, emotionally, tactically, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. What a performance for the 27-year-old.

I'd pay good money to see a rematch with Anthony Pettis. Or--dare I say it--perhaps this win put Henderson in line for the title shot?

Loser: Dan Hardy

Shortly after tapping out late in his match with Chris Lytle, Dan Hardy got a vote of confidence from none other than Zuffa Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta, who tweeted that The Outlaw would stay under the employ of the UFC because he likes "guys that war."

I'm a Hardy fan, and the decision to keep Hardy would seem to make sense from a couple of standpoints (not the least of which is marketing). But I didn't see a whole lot of "war" in Hardy's game last night, especially considering it was a virtual must-win. The 36-year-old Lytle literally beat Hardy to the punch throughout, while The Outlaw seemed tentative and flat.

If the UFC does indeed hang on to Hardy, I honestly don't know what the next step should be. I do know that he's overdue for a long fall down the rankings, and probably doesn't deserve to fight on main cards anymore, much less in main events. Maybe a matchup with fellow misfit toy Dennis Hallman would be good. I'll bring the banana hammocks.

Winner: Chris Lytle

Not unlike a musician whose record sales spike after something bad happens, Lytle arguably became more popular than ever in his MMA swan song.

Lytle has always been popular, but the outpouring of accolades and respect must have come as a surprise to the full-time firefighter and longtime welterweight veteran. For a man who never fought for the title, this must have felt like a crowning achievement.

And it was. Even if he hadn't choked out Hardy with about a minute to go, he still likely would have taken the decision. True to form, Lytle pushed the pace and scored on punch after punch.

After the fight, an emotional Lytle brought two of his four children into the Octagon. It was a touching moment, and drove home why Lytle was retiring.

So what's next? Well, given that he earned his ninth and 10th fight bonuses last night (a UFC record, by the way), I imagine Lytle and his family will have a pretty good day at the water park today, with $130,000 of extra spending money in their pockets.

Congratulations, Chris. Time to turn the lights out.